News Highlight
Army to raise Command Cyber Operations and Support Wings for effectively handling cyberspace challenges.
Key Takeaway
- The Army has decided to increase the number of Command Cyber Operations and Support Wings (CCOSWs).
- Also, establish ‘Lead Directorates’ and ‘Test Bed’ formations to absorb niche technologies and improve fighting capability, even in cyberspace.
- The CCOSWs will support their formations in meeting the cyberspace security challenges posed by adversaries’ expanding warfare capabilities.
- The Army Commanders Conference decided during its conference, which was held in hybrid form for the first time from April 17 to April 23.
Command Cyber Operations and Support Wings (CCOSWs)
- About
- The Indian Army is fast becoming internet-centric, implying a greater reliance on current communication tools at all levels.
- The CCOSWs will aid Indian Army formations in meeting cyberspace security concerns provided by enemies’ expanding warfare capabilities.
- Significance
- This is essential in light of China’s development of a wide range of cyberweapons.
- It can degrade or destroy an adversary’s military assets and strategic networks before the conventional battle begins.
- China also regularly engages in hostile cyber actions and uses cyberspace for “grey zone warfare.”
- Grey zone warfare is defined as using the operational area between peace and war to change the status quo or coerce an adversary.
- The Army believes CCOSWs will help protect its networks and enhance preparedness levels in this fifth battle dimension, following land, sea, air, and space.
- This move will enhance the force’s cyber-security posture for conventional operations and grey zone combat.
Comparing India’s Cyberwarfare Capabilities with Other Countries
- India has lagged behind in terms of developing cyberwarfare capabilities.
- Only in 2019 did the Union government sanction establishing a tiny tri-service Defence Cyber Agency (DCA) at the highest level.
- Conversely, China has a large strategic support force to oversee the People’s Liberation Army’s space, cyber, and electronic warfare operations.
- The US, too, has a massive Cyber Command overseen by a four-star general.
- They can launch a “full spectrum” war if necessary and safeguard over 15,000 American military networks from attacks around the clock.
Other Key Decisions Taken in the Army Commanders Conference
- TES Entry Scheme
- Training efforts were widely discussed to optimise infrastructure, time, and money to sustain an effective, lethal combat force.
- It was determined under the TES entrance plan for officers to transition from the present 1+3+1 years Technical entrance plan (TES) model to the 3 + 1 TES model beginning in January 2024.
- TES is a paradigm for technical recruitment into the Indian Army.
- The four-year training plan will ensure that young officers are ready to serve the Army for another year.
- Lead Directorates and Test-Bed Formations
- The Army’s 12-thousand-strong force has designated lead directorates and test-bed formations to manage the continuing induction.
- In addition, operational philosophies for specialist technologies must be developed.
- Niche Tech-enabled Equipments
- The Army is introducing a wide range of specialist tech-enabled equipment.
- These include tactical, mini, micro, and logistics drones, UAVs, drone swarms, loiter weapon systems, electronic warfare, and anti-drone equipment.
- These items are designed to improve the fighting capability of field formations.
- Training for Paralympic Events
- It was determined to identify and prepare motivated soldiers for Paralympic events at Army Sports and Mission Olympic Nodes in nine different sports.
Offensive cyber operations (OCOs)
- About
- There are two sorts of cyber-attacks:
- Those that interrupt the functional operation of a weapons system and destroy or inflict damage on weapons systems.
- OCOs are an extension of intangible warfare, including EW and EMS operations.
- OCOs that are domain-specific or limited to the cyber domain may have restrictions regarding escalation and the extent to which they damage a target.
- Consider event-based and presence-based operations when evaluating OCOs.
- The latter is mainly strategic capabilities involving adversary network incursions culminating in an offensive or attack.
- The former refers to tactical tools used during ongoing operations on the battlefield to achieve localised impact.
- Indian context
- In India, there is a greater emphasis on cyber defence than on offence.
- India’s offensive cyber capabilities must improve, particularly in comparison to China.
- To deal with Pakistan and China, which may engage in cyber cooperation against India.
- India needs more powerful cyber warfare capabilities aimed towards offensive action.
- Pakistan is likely to be the main Chinese proxy for cyber-attacks on India.
- Pursuing the “cult of the defensive” may provide an answer.
- For offensive action to be lethally effective, India needs combined cyber and air power rather than a solely or dichotomous “air/cyber power” deployment.
- The Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) provides India numerous opportunities to perform OCOs.
- There are two sorts of cyber-attacks:
Pic Courtesy: The Hindu
Content Source: The Hindu